Hardware

Precision

Precision is the degree to which a robot reproduces the same motion or measurement under unchanged conditions, and it is closely tied to repeatability, whereas accuracy measures closeness to the commanded target. ISO 9283 defines the standard pose accuracy and repeatability tests for industrial manipulators. A robot can be precise but inaccurate, which is why kinematic calibration is used to convert repeatability into usable accuracy.

Why it matters for physical AI

Whether a task needs micrometer precision or centimeter tolerance determines viable hardware, sensing, and control strategies, and conflating precision with accuracy is a classic source of failed automation specifications.